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sumyunguy
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
Posts: 20
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 Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:43 am Post subject: |
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| How is Japan has such a long life expectancy I wonder? Just think what the average might be minus the smoking... |
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pastis
Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:44 am Post subject: |
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| furiousmilksheikali wrote: |
| Pastis, I can assure you there is smoking in hospitals and just about everywhere else. There are few places indeed where there is no smoking. Some cafes and restaurants have smoking and non-smoking floors such as Doutur, but as others have pointed out in many cases a smoking area and a non-smoking area might be placed right alongside each other with the only thing distinguishing them being a sticker on the table. It's completely ridiculous of course. |
Okay, I'm willing to believe you since I've never been to a hospital there, but can people actually smoke like in the same room as bed-ridden patients??? Like if there's some guy with tubes down his throat getting lung cancer treatment, you can go beside him and light one up? Correct me again if I'm wrong, but I would assume (as I said) and hope that they at least have well-ventilated smoking rooms, cordoned off from the patients... 
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| Personally I don't mind a smoke or two, particularly after dinner and so I'm not against restaurants that allow smoking. I do mind, however, if a group of adults who want to smoke bring their kids to the table next to mine as it should be their responsibility to shield them from smoke. I usually ask to move seats if this happens as a) it stops me from breathing out smoke next to kids and b) it stops me having to sit next to kids and their obtuse parents. |
Well, I lived in Tokyo for about 2 years (until recently), and I'm a bit ashamed to admit I can't recall in great detail the laws on smoking there. What I do recall is that in my office there was a smoking room, and it was well ventilated so it never entered the actual work area. I don't recall people ever smoking inside stores, or any public spaces for that matter. Even outside there are designated smoking areas, like around metro stations.
In fact, off the top of my head, the only place I remember smoke being an issue was in restaurants/bars, especially crowded ones in Shinjuku. |
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furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:55 am Post subject: |
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| Sure, the wards probably don't permit smoking but there are plenty of areas inside hospitals that seem to. |
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J.
Joined: 03 May 2003
Posts: 327
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 1:48 am Post subject: |
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Restaurants are bad, as often the only separation for the non-smoking and smoking section is a sign on the wall or table. And you know I just love breathing smoke that has already been in someone else's lungs. "Gee, how about some food that has already been in someone's else stomach, ma'am? Doesn't that sound delicious?"
There's a smoking lounge just outside the reception desk, with open doors, and next to the stairs leading to the exercise rooms of my HEALTH Club. And there's a huge open hole that funnels smoke up from the hotel lobby/restaurant below right next to it. Believe it or not, they don't see anything wrong with this. Apparently smoke can't climb stairs.  |
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pastis
Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:24 am Post subject: |
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| J. wrote: |
| And you know I just love breathing smoke that has already been in someone else's lungs. "Gee, how about some food that has already been in someone's else stomach, ma'am? Doesn't that sound delicious?" |
Um, how about the regular air that's already been in someone else's lungs (before being sneezed out)? Or pollution, or sugi pollen, or B.O., or cheap perfume people wear in the metro, or toxic yellow dust from the Gobi desert? Or any other of the unavoidable things that adulterate the air we breath? and the water we use, and the food we eat. et cetera et cetera. That's just the way it goes... I don't see much point in dwelling on it. What can you do, besides live in a bubble?
Seriously, I don't smoke, but aside from a few hot-boxed restaurants I barely noticed it in my day-to-day life in Japan. I wouldn't guess it's going to be a problem for the OP, unless he's tempted by good quality, cheap cigarettes. I'm pretty surprised so many posters find it so intolerable... |
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Precise
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 140
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:34 am Post subject: |
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| pastis wrote: |
| J. wrote: |
| And you know I just love breathing smoke that has already been in someone else's lungs. "Gee, how about some food that has already been in someone's else stomach, ma'am? Doesn't that sound delicious?" |
Um, how about the regular air that's already been in someone else's lungs (before being sneezed out)? Or pollution, or sugi pollen, or B.O., or cheap perfume people wear in the metro, or toxic yellow dust from the Gobi desert? Or any other of the unavoidable things that adulterate the air we breath? and the water we use, and the food we eat. et cetera et cetera. That's just the way it goes... I don't see much point in dwelling on it. What can you do, besides live in a bubble?
Seriously, I don't smoke, but aside from a few hot-boxed restaurants I barely noticed it in my day-to-day life in Japan. I wouldn't guess it's going to be a problem for the OP, unless he's tempted by good quality, cheap cigarettes. I'm pretty surprised so many posters find it so intolerable... |
No. I quit and I won't start again. Cravings aren't really that bad and I will never smoke again knowing all the chemicals I used to put into my body. I won't smoke if I go to Japan either. I was just wondering how other people deal with smoking over there. |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 5:36 am Post subject: |
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| pastis wrote: |
Um, how about the regular air that's already been in someone else's lungs (before being sneezed out)? Or pollution, or sugi pollen, or B.O., or cheap perfume people wear in the metro, or toxic yellow dust from the Gobi desert? Or any other of the unavoidable things that adulterate the air we breath? and the water we use, and the food we eat. et cetera et cetera. That's just the way it goes... I don't see much point in dwelling on it. What can you do, besides live in a bubble?
I'm pretty surprised so many posters find it so intolerable... |
Well, it's interesting that you should bring these up -- as you just made clear, there are enough unavoidable sources of air pollution without having people willfully contribute to it even more...
Also funny about bringing up cheap perfume as I know a person who is deathly allergic to ANY kind of perfume. He risks going into anaphylactic shock even if someone puts on hand cream next to him. Short of living in a bubble, in order to live anything resembling a semi-normal life, he carries an emergency injection kit and no less than 4 or so bronchiodilators (like the ones asthmatics use). But in general, when he stays out of department stores and drugstores, and when people RESPECT the "no perfume" policies put in place at his work, he is fine 90% of the time.
So how does this relate to smoking? Like many of us, we are fine 90% of the time, it's just the people who are inconsiderate and insist on smoking in places where people who are allergic or intolerant of it (for medical reasons) must be exposed to it -- for example, right next to the front door of a building, in a fast-food queue or next to the non-smoking section of a restaurant where there is no separation between the two.
What's also interesting to note, is that even smokers are often bothered by second-hand smoke. Depending on the source of the statistics(1),(2),(3) up to 49% of smokers surveyed claim to be bothered by second-hand smoke themselves.
Even more interesting is that in at least ONE of the studies (1) at least half of those smokers who are bothered by second-hand smoke would also support a public tobacco ban.
It should not surprise you then that so many people here (even ones who enjoy their habit) are sensitive to it. If you are truly so fortunate as to be able to ignore it and "drown it out" just the same as background noise, then that's great -- but for many it's a lot more than just "background noise."
For those of us who DO like to enjoy a smoke-free environment when we go out, here's an old thread with a couple of good links.... Another Dave's forum-dweller, BradS started a website dedicated to just that.
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=29064
The last time it came up, he was revamping the site... But there are a number of sites in Japanese with the same info. An absolutely EXCELLENT site is: http://www.kinen-style.com/
In the aforementioned thread I also made reference to a Daily Yomiuri article that talked about the growing trend of smoke-free establishments -- even scotch bars!!! 
Please don't follow the original link from the other thread -- seems that the Yomiuri moved the article. If I ever find it again I'll post a new link to it.... But for now, unfortunately, it's gone.
Sources:
(1) Centre for Public Health, Liverpool, UK (2004)
(2) Woking Borough, UK Council Agenda (June, 2006)
(3) "Community Partnership for Health and Fresh Air" -- University of Hawaii at Manoa (2002) |
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Precise
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 140
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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Wow after more than a week of quitting and being fine, I'm going through some major withdrawal right now.  ...must be strong must be strong!  |
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Eva Pilot
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 351
Location: Far West of the Far East
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Smokers and smoking doesn't bother me at all. Maybe if I'm riding the train at night and the only seat is in the smoking carriage my eyes get a bit sore, but that's about it. |
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Precise
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 140
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| Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 3:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Eva Pilot wrote: |
| Smokers and smoking doesn't bother me at all. Maybe if I'm riding the train at night and the only seat is in the smoking carriage my eyes get a bit sore, but that's about it. |
Were you ever a smoker? |
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Sour Grape
Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 241
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 12:07 am Post subject: |
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| JimDunlop2 wrote: |
| Having a "no smoking" section in a restaurant is like having a "no peeing" section in a swimming pool. Both are just about as equally effective. |
The was quite funny the first time you said it. Don't overdo it - like all good one liners it loses a lot each time it is repeated. |
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Eva Pilot
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 351
Location: Far West of the Far East
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:21 am Post subject: |
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| Precise wrote: |
| Eva Pilot wrote: |
| Smokers and smoking doesn't bother me at all. Maybe if I'm riding the train at night and the only seat is in the smoking carriage my eyes get a bit sore, but that's about it. |
Were you ever a smoker? |
Never even once. |
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Precise
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 140
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:31 am Post subject: |
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| If you are a smoker you should stop right now! Think of your health, and if that isn't enough think of the children. You! Can make a difference in the lives of many. Please, teach good health, please teach conservation and environmental awareness while you teach English. It's crucial. |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 4:14 am Post subject: |
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| Sour Grape wrote: |
| JimDunlop2 wrote: |
| Having a "no smoking" section in a restaurant is like having a "no peeing" section in a swimming pool. Both are just about as equally effective. |
The was quite funny the first time you said it. Don't overdo it - like all good one liners it loses a lot each time it is repeated. |
Awww.... I was hoping to make that my signature line....  |
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Quibby84
Joined: 10 Aug 2006
Posts: 643
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 4:52 am Post subject: |
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| I still thought it was funny, even if it was the second time..... |
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